Fishing singles: dating when angling is your thing

Why anglers date differently

Angling shapes a life in ways non-anglers don't always expect, so being upfront about it matters more than it would for most hobbies. Early starts. Weekends planned around tides, weather or the river level. A car that smells faintly of groundbait. A habit of going quiet for hours and calling it relaxing.

None of that is a problem with the right person. It's only a problem when one of you didn't know what you were signing up for. That's the point of a site built around fishing: you can say up front that Saturday mornings belong to the river, and meet people who think that's a good thing, or at least an interesting one.

The guides in this section are written for both sides: anglers looking for someone who gets it, and people who've never fished but like the idea of someone who does.

Start here

If you only read one guide, make it fishing as a first date. It covers how long to go for, choosing a venue with a café and toilets, what to bring for two, the rod licence rules in each part of the UK, and what to do when nothing's biting.

If you're the non-angler, read dating someone who fishes. It's an honest look at the early starts, the kit and the weekend trips, and how couples make it work.

Coarse, sea or fly: which sort of angler?

"Angler" covers three quite different crowds, and knowing which one you're talking to tells you a lot about their weekends.

Read the full guides to coarse fishing singles, sea fishing singles and fly fishing singles.

Many anglers do more than one. A coarse angler might spend summer evenings on a trout reservoir; a fly angler might be on the beach for bass when the rivers are low.

Words you'll hear on the bank

A few terms come up in profiles and first chats. Knowing them makes the first conversation easier.

• Peg or swim: the spot on the bank where an angler fishes. On club and commercial waters, pegs are often numbered.
• Day ticket: paid permission to fish a water for a day. It is not a licence.
• Rod licence: the legal licence needed in England and Wales (and a separate one in Northern Ireland) to fish for freshwater fish, salmon, trout, smelt or eels.
• Close season: a period when fishing for certain fish is not allowed. Coarse fishing on rivers in England and Wales stops from 15 March to 15 June.
• Blank: a session where nothing is caught. Anglers have lots of these and mostly don't mind.
• Match: a fishing competition where anglers draw pegs and the heaviest catch wins.

Meeting people beyond the site

Online dating works best alongside real life, not instead of it. Angling clubs, match days, work parties and coaching sessions are all places where you see the same faces week after week. Our guide to meeting people through angling clubs explains how to join as a newcomer, and how to behave if you take a shine to someone on the next peg.

When it's going well, read fishing holidays for couples, which is mostly about planning a trip that works for both of you, including the one who doesn't fish.

Licences and seasons, briefly

Each part of the UK has its own rules, and the licence belongs to the person holding the rod.

• England and Wales: anyone 13 or over needs a rod licence to fish for freshwater fish, salmon, trout, smelt or eels, plus permission to fish the water. Licences for 13 to 16-year-olds are free. Coarse fishing on rivers closes from 15 March to 15 June, while most enclosed stillwaters and canals stay open all year.
• Scotland: no rod licence, but most waters need a permit, and salmon fishing is banned on Sundays.
• Northern Ireland: a licence from DAERA or the Loughs Agency, depending on where you fish.
• Sea fishing: generally needs no rod licence anywhere in the UK.

The first date guide sets the rules out side by side.

All angling guides

• Coarse fishing singles: dating by the lake and canalCarp, match and pleasure anglers: what coarse anglers are like to date and the dates that suit them.
• Dating someone who fishes: early starts, muddy boots and what to expectAn honest guide for non-anglers on what dating someone who fishes is really like and how couples make it work.
• Meeting people through angling clubs and match daysHow to find and join an angling club, what match days involve, and meeting people on the bank without making it awkward.
• Fishing as a first date: how to make sure you both want a secondHow long to go for, where to fish, what to pack for two, licence rules around the UK, and a plan B for slow days.
• Fishing holidays for couples, including one who doesn't fishPlanning a fishing trip that works for both of you, including a partner who doesn't fish.
• Fly fishing singles: dating on the riverReservoir, river and loch anglers: what fly anglers are like to date and how to share the hobby.
• Sea fishing singles: dating by the coastPier, beach and boat anglers: what sea anglers are like to date, coastal date ideas and tide safety.

Using the site as an angler

Say what, where and how often you fish in your profile, and add a photo of you outdoors. "Carp on club lakes most Sundays, happy to teach" tells people far more than "I like fishing". Our profile tips for anglers will help, and joining and browsing are free; reading and replying to messages needs a paid membership, explained on how it works.